The true impact of deadly synthetic opioids on communities could be vastly underestimated due to significant delays in blood sample collection and testing, an expert and grieving family have warned.
This concern arose after the inquest into the death of Antony Irvin, a lifelong drug user found dead last September in his Ramsgate home. Blood samples from Mr. Irvin were taken three weeks after his death and analyzed three months later—a delay that may have obscured the presence of quickly degrading synthetic opioids such as nitazenes.
Mr. Irvin’s family is calling for urgent action to understand how synthetic opioids are infiltrating the illicit drug market, especially in Kent, where these substances may be mixed with heroin, ketamine, or cocaine. They emphasize the urgent need for earlier blood collection to accurately detect these compounds and assess their role in rising drug-related deaths.
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Assistant Coroner Mark Haskell acknowledged that cuts to pathology services have contributed to sample collection delays, describing the degradation of samples as “unaccredited but admissible.” He noted such delays are “not unusual in these circumstances,” complicating efforts to uncover the full extent of synthetic opioid involvement. The coroner confirmed that Mr. Irvin died from a fatal mix of heroin and methadone but admitted there was no conclusive evidence concerning synthetic opioids because of the delayed testing.
Experts at King’s College London support the family’s concerns. Dr. Caroline Copeland, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology, explained that nitazenes and similar drugs degrade rapidly in post-mortem blood, potentially causing up to a third of related deaths to go undetected. This undercount compromises public health responses, leaving families and communities without answers to a hidden opioid crisis.
Nicola Irvin, Antony’s sister, stressed the increased dangers, explaining some synthetic opioids can be up to 400 times stronger than heroin. She urged authorities to expedite blood testing within one to two weeks of death to better identify the scope of synthetic opioid deaths. Antony’s brother, Tom Powell, warned that contaminated drugs could turn a typical dose deadly, underscoring the risks of undetected synthetic opioids in the local drug supply.
Their father, David Irvin, reflected on Antony’s life and warned that many others might suffer similar fates if the crisis remains unaddressed.
Kent County Council has noted a rise in drug deaths, with public health officials acknowledging synthetic opioids like fentanyl are increasingly used to adulterate street drugs. Between June 2023 and June 2024, 16 deaths related to synthetic opioids were recorded in the southeast, with numbers rising in other regions, indicating a growing problem across the UK.
The Irvin family’s fight highlights an urgent need for improved testing protocols and increased awareness of synthetic opioid dangers to prevent further loss of life and provide clarity to affected families.